IUCN secretariat, at ARO, has been supporting the implementation of the resolution through the IUCN global BRIDGE programme, SDC funded, which aims at strengthening transboundary water governance, with a component in the Mekong.
A number of activities have been conducted to implement Resolution 013 - Supporting the Lower Mekong Basin countries with the transboundary management of water resources, ecosystems and biodiversity.
REPORTING 2022 AND PRIOR
As an example, the study A window of opportunity for the Mekong Basin: The UN Watercourses Convention as a basis for cooperation, developed before resolution 13 is acting as a regional guidance to promote the strengthening of the 1995 Mekong river agreement, highlighting its compatibility but also differences with the UNWC. The recommendations are regularly discussed with the Mekong River Commission.
IUCN has also supported regional dialogues on energy integration with an aim to reduce the portion of hydropower in the energy mix, building on the opportunities given by a more competitive solar and wind energy generation. The Sekong, Sesan and Srepok River Basin energy profile, looking at potential scenario for energy cooperation in the largest sub-basin of the Mekong acts as a scientific basis to trigger dialogues and influence planning in the region.
Specifically, IUCN has advocated for a review of the proposed, and ongoing Vietnamese-supported Sekong Dam A project, in Lao PDR. IUCN DG sent a letter to the prime minister of Viet Nam (Viet Nam private sector being the main support to the project) to highlight the fact that the Sekong A dam will have serious impacts on sediment and fisheries because of its location. The Sekong is the Mekong’s largest free-flowing tributary and a vital channel for fish migration, spawning, and stock recovery. If built, the Sekong A dam would produce just 86 MW, a tiny fraction of electricity relative to regional power supply. Yet it would disconnect all but 126 km of the Sekong’ s 1,917 km from the Mekong, further restricting sediment delivery to the delta thereby threatening the success of Viet Nam Resolution 120. It would also gravely weaken Vietnam’s widely admired leadership on sustainability regionally and globally. There are numerous alternative power projects that Lao PDR and Viet Nam could develop. The very small amount of power produced by the Sekong A dam could easily be substituted by investing in solar and wind, which would be quicker to build and have zero impact on river connectivity and consequently on sediment delivery and fisheries migration. IUCN was invited by the Lao Ministry of Energy and mine to present the project and also worked closely with NGOs and CSOs, including IUCN members to mainstream key facts and findings about the project.
IUCN is also engaging with the MRC in developing a GEF IW project on transboundary fisheries. The 8 million project would look at 1) Scaling up transboundary fisheries management measures, including seasonal closures, fish conservation areas, etc. 2) Protect the remaining freshwater ecosystems, including migratory fish pathways and spawning grounds and 3) Improve fisheries governance at local, national, and transboundary scales. IUCN was invited to facilitate a session on transboundary fisheries during the recent 12th MRC stakeholder forum in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2022.
IUCN is also acting as the executing agency for a GEF IW project looking at groundwater management in the Mekong delta between Cambodia and Viet Nam.
IUCN is also supporting the MRC in mainstreaming the Green List in management framework of key freshwater sites in the Mekong basin as part of the implementation of the MRC Strategy for Basin-Wide Environment of Prioritised Environmental Assets with Regional Significance. The Green List will be implemented in 4 pilot wetlands in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet nam.
UPDATE 2022-2023
The advocacy efforts undertaken by IUCN to raise awareness of the possible risks caused by the development of the Sekong A dam have led to the MRc agreeing to pilot the Transboundary Impact Assessment guidelines on the Sekong A. This will enhance cooperation and dialogue between Lao PDR and Cambodia on possible plan modifications or cancellations if risks are too high.
IUCN Asia and partners are currently working on strengthening the conservation and management of critical ecosystems of the Lower Mekong basin. A management plan for Stung Treng Ramsar site in Cambodia is being prepared through consultations with the government, CSOs, and communities. IUCn is also supporting MOE Cambodia in including Stung Treng and the middle stretches of the Lower Mekong on the World Heritage Tentative list. In Lao PDR, IUCN is supporting the Department of Water Resources, MoNRE, with a possible nomination of Siphandone as a Ramsar site.
The MRC-led GEF IW PIF on Transboaunry Fisheries has received official endorsement from Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam. The approval from Thailand is expected in August. It is hoped that the pIf will be submitted in September to the GEF council for consideration at the GEF council meeting in December 2023.
IUCN is the lead-operational partner for the 15 million GEF IW, Enhancing the sustainability of the Transboundary Mekong River Delta Aquifer in Cambodia and Viet Nam. The Vietnam and Cambodia National Mekong Committees are part of the operational partner's consortium.
IUCN has signed an MoU with K-Water to upscale the implementation of NbS for water in the Mekong region. As part of this partnership, IUCN, K-Water, and MRC are jointly developing a proposal for a Korean ODA programme. The proposal will promote the management, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems in the Mekong basin for water management.
IUCN supports MRCs in implementing the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas for some of the environmental assets identified in the "Mekong Strategy for Basin-wide Environmental Management for Environmental Assets of Regional Importance 2021–2025". All selected sites are wetlands. IUCN provided training and capacity building to the MRC and directly supported the sites'Green List assessments.
IUCN and Stimson organised the Mekong – U.S. Partnership, Track 1.5 Policy Dialogue on Transboundary Water Governance (Chiang Rai, Thailand, July 17-18, 2023).
Update 2023-2024
Under the Building River Governance (BRIDG 5) project, and in cooperation with the UNECE, IUCN completed a technical paper on international water law, focusing on the compatibility and practical added value of the 1992 UN Water Convention with the 1995 Mekong River Agreement, based on a desktop review of available literation and interviews with key informants. The summary of the findings was presented to the governments of Cambodia and Thailand, providing an opportunity for government stakeholders and other water governance professionals to provide their feedback on the draft findings. IUCN is now revising the report and aims to launch it in early 2025 with the title of: International water law and the 1995 Mekong Agreement: Assessing benefits for Mekong countries of acceding to the UN global water conventions.
Under BRIDGE, IUCN is also working with the Stimson Center to promote research on a sustainable energy mix for the region. The brief: Opportunities for Singapore to Drive ASEAN's Green Transition, provides a snapshot of Singapore’s projected energy needs, explores options for future electricity imports, and identifies how Singapore can both advance and benefit from the regional green energy transition while minimizing negative avoidable social and environmental impacts from hydropower in the region.
IUCN is working with the Mekong River Commission to develop a ProDoc for a GEF IW proposal on Mekong Fisheries. n 2024, it held consultations with the four countries to validate the document and project.
